Geographical drivers and climate-linked dynamics of Lassa fever in Nigeria.

ABSTRACT: Lassa fever is a longstanding public health concern in West Africa. Recent molecular studies have confirmed the fundamental role of the rodent host (Mastomys natalensis) in driving human infections, but control and prevention efforts remain hampered by a limited baseline understanding of the disease's true incidence, geographical distribution and underlying drivers. Here, we show that Lassa fever occurrence and incidence is influenced by climate, poverty, agriculture and urbanisation factors. However, heterogeneous reporting processes and diagnostic laboratory access also appear to be important drivers of the patchy distribution of observed disease incidence. Using spatiotemporal predictive models we show that including climatic variability added retrospective predictive value over a basel

SUBMITTER: Redding DW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8486829 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature